EBRD President supports market-friendly reforms in Poland

Against the backdrop of stronger than expected growth in Poland this year, EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti has appealed to the authorities to continue market-friendly reforms and emphasised the Bank’s support for the country.

President Chakrabarti met Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Finance, Mateusz Morawiecki, and the President of the National Bank of Poland and EBRD Governor Adam Glapiński during a two-day visit to Warsaw which ended today. The meetings focused on the country’s economic and political development.

Summing up his visit President Chakrabarti said: “It was good to return to Poland three years after our successful 2014 Annual Meeting. I was pleased to hear that the government is planning a number of market-friendly reforms. This path has served Poland well and we are confident the country will continue to benefit from addressing issues such as improving competitiveness, boosting cross-border trade and strengthening the green economy.”

Poland was the first country in which the EBRD signed a project after its establishment in 1991 and the first country in which the Bank opened an office. To date, the EBRD has invested more than €8.6 billion through 388 projects in the country. Despite Poland’s economic transformation over the past 25 years the Bank remains a relevant player, focusing on areas where the market is not yet as strongly developed. This was also reflected in last year’s results when Poland was the EBRD’s third largest country of operations with €776 million.

From Warsaw, President Chakrabarti is travelling on to Minsk for meetings with the authorities and representatives of the business communities as well as the signing of new EBRD engagements.